If you’ve always lived your whole life right here in India then you may have already noticed that the people here are usually more inclined towards business because of their entrepreneurial minds. And that is precisely why you shouldn’t be dazzled to know that there are so many self-made millionaires and billionaires popping out of every corner of the country. And a 100%, it is possible that you may have noticed that same spark from somewhere deep within you, then you might be looking forward to reading and getting to know a little more about some of the entrepreneurs in India. Well, if that’s the case then you have clicked on the right post because here we will be taking a little detour to introduce you to the top 10 young entrepreneurs in India. So yeah, if you are here for just that, then let’s get to it right away, shall we?
List of Famous Young Entrepreneurs In India
1. Ritesh Agarwal
Net Worth: INR 16,000 crore
Can you believe it? Ritesh Agarwal, this young and dynamic founder and CEO of OYO Rooms, truly has a story to inspire many. His entrepreneurial journey kicked off early. In 2011, he moved to Delhi for college, but since he was deep into entrepreneurship, he dropped out to chase his dreams. In 2011, he started “Oravel Stays,” kind of like an Airbnb thing, which then evolved into OYO Rooms by 2013. His big idea? To totally change the hospitality game in India, making stays affordable and standardized. And OYO just exploded in growth, becoming a $1 billion company by September 2018. He’s been all over, even in the Forbes 30 under 30 list for Asia. And in 2023, the guy became the youngest Shark in the Indian version of Shark Tank.
2. Byju Raveendran
Net Worth: Rs 30,600 crore
Born in 1980 in Azhikode, Kerala, his journey is a mix of a love for teaching and that entrepreneurial fire. Both his parents were teachers, so you know, that influenced him a lot. He went to a Malayalam medium school, and this guy had his own way of learning, sometimes skipping classes to study by himself. After getting his B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from the Government College of Engineering, Kannur, he started as a service engineer in a multinational shipping company. But here’s the twist, in 2003, he helped friends with the CAT exam and nailed it twice with a 100th percentile. That’s when he quit his job and dived into teaching for competitive exams. In 2007, he started Byju’s Classes, and man, it took off fast. His wife, Divya Gokulnath, who was once his student, joined him in this. The big game-changer was in 2015 when they launched the Byju’s app, totally changing how students learn with tech. The app’s success? Well, that was HUGE. Over 150 million downloads by July 2022.
3. Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Net Worth: Rs 9000 crore
And you may already be familiar with this name, right? Yeah, he’s the man behind PayTM. Our PayTM. He has always been an entrepreneur, and his entrepreneurial spirit showed up in college when he started indiasite.net in 1997 and sold it for $1 million two years later. In 2000, he kicked off One97 Communications, doing mobile content like news and scores, laying the groundwork for PayTM, which he launched in 2010. Paytm, a digital payments and financial services company, changed how Indians do transactions, becoming a household name. Under Vijay’s lead, PayTM’s growth has been huge. In November 2021, it hit the public market, raising $2.5 billion at a $19 billion valuation, marking India’s biggest IPO at the time.
4. Bhavish Aggarwal
Net Worth: Rs. 11,700 crores
Bhavish Aggarwal is the brain behind Ola Cabs and Ola Electric. Born on a warm summer day in Ludhiana way back in 1985, Punjab, Bhavish’s story is nothing short of impressive. He’s a Punjabi Hindu, who nailed a degree in computer science from IIT Bombay. His career kicked off at Microsoft Research India, but you know what? It was a bad taxi ride that got him thinking. And boom! In 2011, he started Ola Cabs with Ankit Bhati. Fast forward, and Ola’s everywhere in India. But yeah, COVID-19 hit in 2020, and it’s tough. Bhavish, though, he’s not just sitting back. He was thinking of capturing the EV scene with Ola Electric. And that’s how he got into Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2018.
5. Peyush Bansal
Net Worth: Rs 600 crore
Next up is none other than Peyush Bansal. He’s the big boss at Lenskart, revolutionizing how India sees, literally. Born in 1985, in New Delhi, he’s a guy from a middle-class family who made it big. Studied at Don Bosco, then flew off to McGill University for electrical engineering, and even did some studies at IIM Bangalore. Microsoft hired him for a bit in the U.S., but India called him back. He started with SearchMyCampus in 2007, but the real game-changer? Well, that was when he launched Lenskart in 2010. It started with contact lenses and now, boom, it’s a unicorn with stores everywhere. Peyush isn’t just selling glasses, he’s changing the game. And guess what? He’s also a judge on ‘Shark Tank India’, making him a familiar face in Indian entrepreneurship.
6. Nithin Kamath
Net Worth: Rs 35,300 crore
And then, there’s Nithin Kamath. The man behind Zerodha, shaking up India’s financial sector. A Gaud Saraswat Brahmin kid, his dad was with Canara Bank, and his mom, was an environmentalist and a Veena player. Nithin has an engineering degree from the Bangalore Institute of Technology. But here’s the thing though, he was trading while still in college, back in ’97! He even worked at Canara Bank’s call center. The early 2000s weren’t kind to him, but did he give up? Nope. In 2010, with his brother Nikhil, he started Zerodha. It’s all about low-cost, tech-savvy trading. And yeah, it is now India’s largest retail brokerage.
7. Farrhad Acidwalla
Net Worth: N/A
Born in 1993, in Pune, this guy’s journey is something else. It all started in the 8th grade. Yeah, that early. He borrowed just $10 from his parents to buy his first domain. And he turned that into a web community about planes and stuff, and then sold it for $1,200! In 2009, with just $400, he started Rockstah Media. It’s a big deal now, doing stuff like marketing and web development. People started noticing him big time. He also got featured on CNN Money in 2011 and India TV in 2012. And he’s not just about making money though, he is known to teach digital marketing to students at places like IITs and NITs.
8. Sreelakshmi Suresh
Net Worth: 40 Cr INR
Next up we have Sreelakshmi Suresh on our list today. She’s not just any web designer, she’s one of the youngest CEOs around. Born in 1998, in Kerala, she was into computers when most kids were just playing around. At six, she built her first website. Can you imagine? Her big break was making her school’s website. And it just snowballed from there. By 11, she was the boss of her own company, eDesign. She’s got awards too, like the National Child Award in 2008. And she’s made over 100 websites! Sreelakshmi is living proof that age is just a number when it comes to tech and starting your own thing.
9. Tilak Mehta
Net Worth: Rs 65 crore
Here’s another really inspiring story of someone really young, and yeah, we are talking about none other than Tilak Mehta. Born in 2006 in Maharashtra, this young entrepreneur is shaking things up with Papers n Parcels. He started it when he was just 13, all because he forgot his math book and needed it fast. He saw a problem with courier services and fixed it with his own company. Now, it’s a big deal, with an annual turnover of 100 crores. And yeah, he’s still in school, balancing books and business. Tilak’s journey shows us that you’re never too young to start making a difference in business.
10. Trishneet Arora
Net Worth: 44 Cr INR
Last but definitely not the least, Trishneet Arora. He’s the big name behind TAC Security. Born in 1993, in Punjab, his story is all about turning passion into a profession. He loved computers, but school wasn’t his thing. So, he did it his way, learning through correspondence courses. At 18, he started TAC Security, focusing on keeping data safe from hackers. His clients? Well, those are some big names like Reliance and the Punjab Police. He’s made it to Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia and Fortune India 40 Under 40. And just last year, he was talking with the US Vice President about cybersecurity. Trishneet’s story is a real-life example of how loving what you do can take you places you never ever imagined.
Conclusion
Alright. That is more than enough for now, but you shouldn’t stop just here though. If you have got an entrepreneurial mind yourself, then it will be great to read a lot more about these 10 young entrepreneurs because that way you’ll learn a lot which you can practically apply in your life.
Anantha Nageswaran is the chief editor and writer at TheBusinessBlaze.com. He specialises in business, finance, insurance, loan investment topics. With a strong background in business-finance and a passion for demystifying complex concepts, Anantha brings a unique perspective to his writing.
